Summary
Monkey D. Luffyis the main character ofOne Piece.While, as the main character, the significance of others is directly contingent on their connection to him, there are nonetheless some characters teased as important who have yet to really meet or interact with the Straw Hat.
Oda enjoys teasing characters long before they are properly shown in-depth, such as Donquixote Doflamingo, who became a proper antagonist to Luffy several arcs after his initial appearance. Most, if not all, of these characters will probably get the opportunity to meet Luffy themselves, but for the time being, this is purely speculation, only founded on their elevated level of importance.
5Urouge
Captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates
This enigmatic pirate is the only member ofthe Worst Generationto hail from the Sky Islands. He is seen with a near-constant smile, even on the verge of death. His Devil Fruit’s name is currently unknown. Its power is shown to transfer damage dealt to him into muscle, but the exact nature of it is unclear. Like Bonney, there could be a lot more to this Worst Generation member and his Devil Fruit, than the audience has been led to believe.
What makes the Mad Monk a true wildcard, even compared toother Worst Generation members that fans don’t know a ton about yet, is that the audience has yet to see this pirate interact directly with Luffy or the broader main story. This becomes even more conspicuous once one takes into account the fact that he is now the sole Worst Generation member not to interact with Luffy. For a greater hint at his potential character, one can look at a possible inspiration for the character, Ji Gong, a legendary Chinese Buddhist monk. Ji Gong was known for openly breaking monastic rules but also for helping ordinary folk however he could. Seeing as Luffy himself is known for breaking established norms and helping people with a smile, it’s possible that he and Urouge could get along quite well if they ever do meet.
4Edward Weevil
Whitebeard’s ‘Son’
Edward Weevil was an extremely late addition to the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He was notably one of five pirates to be part of the organization upon its dissolution, and more impressively, one of a few to not have a crew of his own.He believes himself to be the son of Edward Newgate, having been mothered by Buckingham Stussy, who was once acquainted with Whitebeard when they were both a part of the Rocks Pirates. Their further relationship is not concretely known, but Buckin claimed that the two were lovers in the past. Regardless of his actual parentage, Weevil’s physical strength has been compared to that of Newgate in his prime.
The claim of Weevil being Whitebeard’s son seemed spurious to many, as the late Emperor often stated that his crew, the Whitebeard Pirates, were his family. Nonetheless, Buckin manipulated her son to seek out Whitebeard’s “fortune”, which involved taking out any member or affiliate of his expansive crew. Unfortunately, due to most of the money Whitebeard acquired going to humanitarian aid for Sphinx, the island he grew up on, there was no such fortune to speak of. Weevil was eventually apprehended due to the extent of his destruction, which led Buckin to seek out Marco’s aid to rescue her son.
It’s unclear if either one of the pair will ever cross paths with Luffy, but it is also worth noting that every other warlord in the story thus far has done so. Luffy is connected to the Whitebeard Pirates by proxy, as his sworn brother Ace was one of Whitebeard’s “sons.” Luffy was also allied with the Whitebeard Pirates at the time of Newgate’s death, and he continued to work alongside various former members of the crew afterward. Buckin is coincidentally voiced by Erica Schroeder, Luffy’s voice actress in the short-lived 4Kids dub ofOne Piece.
3Aramaki
Ryokugyu, The Greenest Marine Admiral
Aramaki was one of two new marine admirals installed to fill the vacancies left by Sakazuki’s promotion and Kuzan’s desertion. He is a skilled haki user and also ate a Devil Fruit, the Mori Mori no Mi, which can create especially deadly forms of plant life. Aramaki is, in some ways, a departure from his fellow admirals. He is shown to be the most directly reverent to World Nobles, viewing them as genuine gods.He notably fought Fujitora, the other recent admiral, for attempting to free the slaves of the World Nobles, once the revolutionaries invaded Mary Geoise.
After failing to prevent the rescue of Bartholomew Kuma, Aramaki traveled to Wano, managing to easily wipe out the remaining Beasts Pirates and contend with the Kozuki clan’s fighters after the Raid on Onigashima concluded. Ultimately, his goal was to kill Luffy, but Shanks threatened him from a distance, warning him telepathically through his haki to leave the new era of pirates alone. Not wanting to escalate the situation, Aramaki went on his way. He was also responsible for apprehending Edward Weevil after the marines called for backup to defeat the pirate. It is clear that this admiral is both a capable fighter and devoted to the World Nobles. As Luffy continues to perform actions to antagonize them throughout the final saga, the likelihood of Aramaki confronting him increases.
2Figarland Garling
Supreme Commander of God’s Knights
This World Noble was first seen crucifying and executing Donquixote Mjosgard, a World Noble who rejected the label of “God” and wished to make strides toward equality. This was due to Mjosgard protecting the mermaid princess, Shirahoshi, from being enslaved by a fellow World Noble, Charlos. To this end, Mjosgard assaulted Charlos and allowed Leo and Sai,a pair of recent pirate captains devoted to Luffy, to assault him as well. Garling is steadfast in his belief that those who protect “trash” sink even lower. He was also apparently a “champion” in God Valley, years ago, implying he may have fought many a powerful pirate during the God Valley Incident.He is also speculated to have some relation to Shanks,with many presuming they are father and son.
Garling’s execution shows he holds a level of authority over World Nobles, characters who were previously shown to be otherwise untouchable by the law. Garling leads God’s Knights, who essentially operate as the law enforcement group within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Seeing preventing enslavement was the first on-screen action they deemed worthy of punishing a World Noble over, it shows a systemic angle from which the excess and corruption of World Nobles persist. With the recent death of Saturn, it is Garling who steps up to join the Five Elders, granting him potentially even more power. It is not clear at all if Garling will face Luffy, as he is hinted to be a more direct foe to the revolutionaries. However, due to the pirate’s own crimes of helping people and curtailing government corruption, the two will likely not get along if they ever do meet.
1Monkey D. Dragon
Revolutionary Army Leader and also Luffy’s Father
Dragon has been heavily teased throughout the series, and while always keeping his distance, has seemingly kept tabs on Luffy at various points in his life. He was once a marine, like his fatherMonkey D. Garp, but left due to disagreeing with the organization’s view of justice. From there, he steadily built up an army with the explicit purpose of overthrowing the government. Various confidants of Dragon have aided Luffy when their purposes align. This includes high-ranking revolutionaries such as Kuma, Ivankov, and Sabo. However, when it comes to the “World’s Worst Criminal,” it is unclear how involved he is in his son’s adventures.
Some fans speculate that Dragon was somehow behind the freak lightning bolt that prevented Luffy from being executed at Loguetown. More concretely, he fought off Smoker to prevent Luffy’s arrest at Loguetown. Additionally, he is implied to have some form of communication with Garp, despite their opposing sides and viewpoints. Luffy, however, knows nothing of his father, being shocked that he even has one when Garp reveals his identity. Their familial connection was not widely known until the Summit War. Dragon finds some form of solace in the reveal, expressing that the revolutionaries could see him “as human for once”, implying that even within the organization, he has a level of mystique. Dragon will likely more directly align himself with Luffy as a major battle against the World Government draws near. Though exactly when this will occur is unclear.
